Strip serving device



Jan. 8, A1935. T. H. KRUEGER ET AL 1,987,197-lv STRIP SERVING DEVICEFiled June 50, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 m "Mln hh 6 Sheets-Sheet 2I IlllllLg H W T. H.v KRUEGER i-:T AL STRIP SERVING DEVICE Fiied June :so 1925Jan. 8, 1935.

r rop/vins Jan. 8, 1935. T, H. KRUEGER ET AL STRIP SERVING DEVICE 6Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan' 8 1935 l T. H. KRUEGER AL 1,987,197

STRIP SERVING DEVICE Filed lJune 50, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 8, 1935.

T. He KRUEGER ET AL 'STRIP SERVING DEVICE Filed June 30, 1925GISheets-Sheet 5 Afr @AP/VE xs Jan. 8, 1935. T. H. KRUEGR ET AL1,987,197 STRIP SERVING DEVICE v Filed June 30, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 6Patented Jan. 8, 1935 UNITEDv STATES-'PATENT OFFICE'.

\. vs'rmr 'ssavmo DEVICE Theodore H. Krueger and Alfred P. Krueger,

New York, N. Y., assignors to Better Packages Inc., New York, N. Y.,v acorporation of New York Application June 99, 1925, serial No. 40,495

24 claims. (ci. :a1-14.5)

yThis invention relates to an improvement in machines for sealingpackages, parcels or the like, and more particularly to a machine which,when actuated, will moisten and feed out a strip of gummed paper incondition to be easily applied to a package or the like.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a poweractuated machine of this type, which, when the actuating lever isoperated will automatically feed outthe moistened strip of paper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which willmoisten and feed out the strip of paper gummed side up in position for apackage to be placed thereon for sealing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which willoperate to moisten and feed out the gummed strip as long as theoperating control means therefor is held in operating position and whichwill automatically stop the feeding of the strip and cut of! the portionfed out when the control means is released. A

The invention also contemplates various improvements` in the details ofconstruction of a machine of this type as will appear more clearlyvhereafter.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred form ofembodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side view partially in section of the present preferredembodiment \of the invention.

Figure 2 is a large side lelevation o f the strip serving machineshowing the relation of the operating devices therefor in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the strip serving machine.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the strip servingmachine.

Figure 5 is a part sectional view of the machine, showing in frontelevation, the relation of the strip feeding rolls and drivingmechanism.

Figure 6 is a detail view of the knife for cutting off the strip. g l

Figures 7 and 8 are detail sectional and plan views of the moisteningwick construction.

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the wickand brush moistening devicewith the front'shield thereof removed. l

Figure is a view of a modiiied form of moistening device for use whenthe strip is served gummed side down.

In the embodiment illustrated'in Figure 1, the machine is shown inoperative positionfor quickly wrapping the gummed strip 8 around apackage A and sealing the same. 'I'he strip feeding machine 1 issupported by a table or counter 2, and comprises a holder 3 for the rollof gummed paper 4, a power driven strip feeding device 5, a foot lever 6for controlling the operation of the strip feeding device, a moistener 7for moistening the top of the gummed strip 8 as it is fed from themachine and a knife 9 between the feeding mech- 1 anism and themoistener for cutting ofi the fed strip when the foot lever 6 isreleased A block 10 is providedand the package Ais placed thereon afterthe moistened strip 8,

gummed side up has been fed out over the block.

A scale 11 inthe runway trough 12 assists the operator in estimating thecorrect amount of strip necessary to wrap any particular package.

With the strip inthe position illustrated and the package in placethereon one of the operatorshands may be passed thru the space B betweenthe end of the strip feeding machine and the block 10 and the other handmay be inserted below the end of the strip in the trough 12 and the endsof the strip folded up along the sides and over the top of the package Ato seal the same. In the sealing operation the vmoistened strip isrubbed against the sides and top of the package to insure a rm contacttherewith and the bottom .of the package may be rubbed overthe block 10to assure rm contact at the bottom and when the 4package is placed inthe chute ortrough '12 and slides down to the discharge end thereof, thefriction of the trough against the bottom of the packages also rubs thesealing strip into firm contact therewith. v

Referring now to the preferred construction of the strip feedingmachine, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, this comprises a pair of sideframes 15 held-in spacedfrelation by the cross members 16. At one end aplurality of rollers 17 are provided'` between the side frames 15, uponwhich the roll 4-of gummed paper is supported.v Side lugs 18 projectinginward from the frames 15 keep the roll 4 in .the center of the machine.

From the roll 4 the strip of gummed paper 8 passes upward over thesmoothing iron 19, above which a presser 20 is located. The presser 20comprises a right angle lower member 21 provided with a roller 22 and apad of felt or the like 23,

and an upper weighted membe1 24 an`d is pivoted at 25 so that thefweight26 forces it down over the iron 19 to take the curl out of the paper asit passes Athereover and exerts a' limited 'resistanc'e to thewithdrawal of the strip .from the roll.

The vstrip feeding mechanism comprises'alowrotatable in the side frames15 and an upper movable feeding roll 29 carried by the stud shaft 30.rIhese rollers are constantly rotated by a gear 31 on the shaft 32,which is driven thru the reducing gear 33 from the pinion 34 of aconstantly running electric motor 35. The gears 36 and36a on the shafts28 and 30 are provided with very deep teeth so that the rollers 27 and29 may be moved apart a limited distance thru the raising of the studshaft without moving the gears out of mesh.

The stud shaft 30 is supported in a wide bearing 37 on the yoke member38 which is pivoted at 39 to a rod 39a extending between the machineframe members 15. A coil spring 40 acts upon the yoke member 38 to holdthe roll 29 normally spaced above the strip 8 as shown in Figures 5 sothat no feeding occurs.

An extension 38a on the yoke 38 is connected thru the adjustable rod 41to the lever 42, adapt- -ed to be actuated from the foot lever 6 in amanner to be described, to pull the yoke downward and bring the movingrollers 27 and 29 into contact with the strip to feed the same thru themachine. A stop 43 prevents the spring 40 from raising the yoke 38 sohigh as to move the gears 36 and 36a out of mesh. f

From a point adjacent the rollers 27 and 29 the gummed strip 8 passesthru a guide member 44, comprising a lower member 45 which beginsadjacent the smoothing iron 19 and iscut out at 46 for the roller 27 toextend therethru and a removable uppermember 47 removably secured by thescrew clamp 48-49 to the cross block 50 so that by loosening the screw48 and sliding the upper member -47 rearwardly until the end 47a is outfrom under the block 50, the upper member may be removed for inspectionand cleaning of the machine.

A knife 9 is pivoted at 52 to adjacent one end of the block 50 and isadapted to be moved downwardV out of the path of the strip when thestrip is being fed forward by the rollers 27 and 29. To effect thismovement, the knife 9 is connected by an adjustable link 53 to a lever54 pivoted at 55 on the machine frame. The other end of the lever 54 isconnected by means of a link 56 to the foot lever 6 so that when thefoot lever is depressed the knife is drawn down. When the foot lever isreleased the spring 57 pulls up the lever 54 and projects the knifeacross the strip-to cutoff the portion fed out of the machine, anadjustable set screw 51 in the machine frame serves as a .stop toprevent the lever 54l and knife 9 from being raised too high. l' Thedepressing of the foot lever 6 draws the lever 54 into contact with thelever 42 to pull *Y down the yoke member 38 and bring the rotatingfeed'roller 29 against the surface of the strip 8 so that the rotationof the rollers 29 and 27 on the top and bottom faces of the strip feedit forward thru the machine. The position of the lever 42 is below thelever 54 so that when the foot lever 6 is depressed the knife 9 iswithdrawn from the path of the strip before the feed roller 29 isbrought down to feed the strip forward, and when the foot lever isreleased the spring 40 elevates the yoke 38 and lever 42 to stop thefeeding of the strip before the knife 9 is projected across the pathofthe stripto sever the end which has been fed out of the machine.

Beyond the knife 9, the strip 8 passes thru a guide way 57 and underthe' brush 58 of the moistening device 7 by which the upper gummedsurface of the strip is moistened. The mOistener for moistening thestrip with the gummed side up comprises a tank 59 for water or the like,a wick 60 comprising a plurality of layers 61 which extend over thebrush 58 and project down within the water in the tank 59 so that thewater rises by capillary attraction in the wick and flows down to theend of the brush.

Y The brush is supported in inclined position by the supports 62 havingslots 63 in which the brush support 64 on the rod 64a may be adjusted topreserve proper contact between the end of the brush and the strip 8 andthe top of the tank acts as a support for the underside of the strip. Ashield 65 covers part of the Wick and the top of the brush to hold thewick in position.

As illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 the layers 6l of the wick arepreferably composed of cotton batting or the like 66 covered with cheesecloth 68 or similar material which may be sewed with loose crossstitches 67 to keep the cotton in place in the wick. v

Figure l0 shows a modified form of moistening device for use when it isdesired to feed the strip 8 from the machine with the gummed side down.This comprises a tank 70 for water or the like having a brush 71extending out thru an opening 72 in the top of the tank and a presserplate 73 pivoted at 74 on the tank forv pressing the strip 8 intocontact with the brush.

The knife 9, lever 54, etc., in this modification operate just as in theforms of embodiment of the invention previously described. To feed thestrip out gum side down, the roll 4 is merely reversed, so that thegummed side of the strip 8 is underneath.

Various modifications and changes may be made in the embodiment of theinvention shown and parts thereof may be used without the whole withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the4 appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a strip serving machine of the type described means to hold asupply of gummed strip, power driven means to feed the strip out of theAmachine gummed side up, and a moistening device for moistening thegummed sidev of the strip, comprising a tank for the moisteningmaterial, a brush for applying the moistening material to the strip anda Wick extending from the tank to the brush to carry the moisteningmaterial to the brush,l and acutting device between said moisteningdevice and said feeding means whereby only moistened gum tape isdispensed from the machine.

2. In a strip serving machine of the type described means to hold asupply of gummed strip power driven means to feed the strip out of themachine a cutting device, and a moistening device adjacent the cuttingdevice and on the opposite side of said feeding device for moisteningthe gummed side of the strip comprising a tank 1ocated below the normalpath of travel of the strip, a brush located adjacent the normal path oftravel of the strip and a wick extending upward from the tank over thebrush to convey the moistening' I material from the tank to the brush.

3. In a strip serving-machine of the class described, in combinationwith a feeding mechanism, a moistening device for gummed paperproductscomprising a tank the top of which is adapted to serve as.asupport for the product being moistened, a brush above said tank withthe tip thereof adjacent the top of the tank in position to moisten thetop of the gummed products passed between the tank and the brush, and awick extending over the brush and dipping into the tank at each end.

4. In a power driven strip server of the class described, a moisteningdevice for gummed paper products comprising a tank for fluid, a brush tomoisten the product fed from the device, and a wick projecting into thefluid in the tank and extending adjacent the brush to act as a fluidcarrier between the tank and brush, and an adjustable pressure deviceadapted to maintain required pressure of contact between the product tobe moistened and the brush.

5. In mechanism for serving strips of adhesive tape or the like, asupport fora tape supply, tape feeding means, a motor, drive connectionbetween the motor and feeding means, means including a manual controllever whereby the motor may be continued in operation but the feedingmeans rendered operative or inoperative to feed, said lever having anormal position in which the feeding means is inoperative, tape severingmeans, actuating connections between said lever and said severing means,and spring means to eect return of the lever to feed stopping positionand to effect t severance of the tape upon release of the lever fromfeed-instituting position.

6. In a strip serving machine, a support for a strip supply, a pair ofrolls between which the strip is adapted to be fed, a motor andconnections for driving one of said rolls, a control lever, spring meansnormally retaining said lever in oif position, the other of said rollsbeing rotatably carried by said lever for movement'into or out offeeding relation to said driven roll, whereby thev motor and the drivenroll may be continued in operation but the feeding action of said rollsstarted and stopped by movement of said lever under manual control bythe operator.

7. In an adhesive strip serving mechanism, a Support for a strip`supply. a feed roll, a motor to drive the sameya cooperating rollmovable into -and out of feeding relation with said driven roll,

manual control means so to move said movable roll, irrespective of thefunctional status'of the motor, spring meansl normally maintaining themovable roll in non-feeding relation, and strip severing meanshaving'operating connections with said manual control means. 8. In a.'-strip serving machine, a support for a strip supply, strip feedingmeans, a motor to actuate the latter, strip, severing means, and meansto interrupt the strip feed and to eect actuation o f `said severingmeans at the will of the operator while continuing the motor inoperation.

9. In a strip serving' machine, strip feeding ,"m'e'ans, strip severingmeans, a motor and con- -fnections for actuating the feeding means,means .'to start and stop effective yactuation of the feed- -ing meanswhile continuing the running of the Wmotor, and means whereby thesevering means is ,actuated to sever the tape by. said stopping of theeffective actuation of lthe feeding means.

10. In'a strip serving'inachine, a support for a -strip supp1y,- a pairof rolls for feeding4 the strip, a motor for driving one of the rolls,the other roll being movable into and out of feeding relation with saiddriven roll, manual means' to move the movable roll into feedingposition, spring means for vreturning the same, whereby to feed strips ywhen, and of such lengths as, determined by the "operator, withoutinterrupting running of the motor, and strip severing means connectedwith engage and feed tape between them, a motor and driving connectionswith one of said rolls, manual means whereby the motor maybe continuedin operation and the feeding action of said rolls may be intermittentlyeected or stopped at the will of the operator, and tape severing meansconnected with said manual means for operative control thereby. J

13. In mechanism for serving strips of tape or the like, a frame, a tapesupply support, vva feed roll engageable with one face of the tape fromsaid Supply. a motor and ,drive connections with said feed roll, acontrol head pivoted on said frame for movement into and out ofoperating position and comprising a main or carrier portion and a memberfor pivotally moving said main or carrier portion, a spring and stopmeans normally maintaining said control head in non-operating or offposition, and a second feed roll, on said head, arranged to havetape-feeding relation with said driven feed roll in the fon." positionof said head, then engaging the opposite face of the tape,

whereby successive lengths of tapel may be deliv- Y ered to the operatoras determined by his manipulation of said control head, the motornormally remaining in continuous operation duringv and between any.desired number of successive feeding operations.

14. In a device l combination, tape feeding means for feeding the tape,tape severing means, and tape moistening means beyond the severingmeans, said tape feeding means comprising driven means to engage thetape across a transverseline thereof to feed the tape out of themachine, means to normally hold the tape feeding means out of tapefeeding position, means to bring the tape feeding means into and out oftape feeding position at, will, 4and a common actuating means foroperating said tape feeding means and said tape severing means.

15. In-a strip serving machine of the class described', meansto hold aroll of gummed tape, rotating frictional means adapted to engage saidtape to push it .through the machine gummed side up, means to moistenthe tape and a cutting means normally located inthe path of the tape tosever said tape adjacent the end of the machine, controlling means tocontrol said cutting and dispensing means whereby operation of thecontrolling means first withdraws said cutting means from the path ofthe tape through the machine and then actuantes said frictional means tofeed said tape through the machine'and whereby release of thecontrolling means first releases the frictional means fromfeeding'contact with the tape to stop for moistening gummed tape, in

means across the tape to'sever the portion of the tape fed out of themachine.

16. In a strip .serving machine, means for holding a supply of. gummedstrip,fmeans to moisten the gulnmed tape, and means to feed the tape,said 'feeding means including a pair of strip feeding rollers betweenwhich the strip is fe'd, shafts supporting said rollers, one of saidshafts being movable toward and away from the other shaft to bring saidstrip feeding rollers into and out of contact with the strip, a movingdriving means for rotating said feeding ,rollers, a knife normallyprojecting into thel path of the strip, a lever for operating saidknife, and a lever for moving said movable shaft to bring the feedingroller into feeding position, said levers being interlocked so that inthe normal operation of the machine the knife is withdrawn from the pathof the strip before the feeding of the strip begins, and the feeding ofthe strip is stopped before the knife is R projected across the path ofthe strip to cut off the strip fed from the machine.

17. In a device for moistening gummed tape, in A combination, tapefeeding means for feeding the tape, tape severing means, and tapemoistening means beyond the severing means, said tape feeding meanscomprising constantly driven means to engage the tape across atransverse line thereof to feed the tape out of the machine, saidconstantly driven means including a motor driven roller on one side ofthe tape and a movable feed roller on the opposite side of said tape,meansto normally hold the tape feeding means out of tape feedingposition, means to bring the tape feeding means into and out of tapefeeding position at will, and a common actuating means for operatingsaid tape feeding means and said tape severing means whereby said tapefeeding means will operate only when the tape severing meansis out ofoperative position, andsaid tape severing means may be operated onlywhen said tape feeding means is out of operative position.

18. In a tape serving machine for serving strips of adhesive tape, meansfor holding a supply of adhesive tape, a pair of tape feeding rollersbetween Which the tape is fed, shafts supporting said rollers, one ofsaid shafts being movable toward and away from the other shaft to bringsaid feed rollers into and out of contact with the tape, gears on saidshafts intermeshing in all positions of said shafts, driving means forrotating said feed rollers, a knife normally projecting into the path ofthe tape, a lever for operating said knife, a lever for moving saidmovable shaft to bring the feed roller into position, said levers beinginterlocked so that in the normal operation of the machine the knife iswithdrawn from the path of the tape before the feeding of the tapebegins, and the feeding of the tape is stopped before the knife isprojected across the path of the tape to cut off the tape fed from themachine, and a common actuating means for said levers.

19. In a device for moistening gummed tape, in combination, tape feedingmeans for feeding the tape, tape severing means, and tape moisteningmeans beyond the severing means, said tape feeding means comprisingconstantly driven means including a motor driven roller on one side ofthe tape and a movable feed roller on the opposite side of said tape,said feed rollers being in positive driving relation in all positions,said tape feeding means engaging the tape across a transverse linethereof to feed the tape out of the machine,` means to normally hold thetape feeding means out of tape feeding position, means to bring the tapefeeding means into and out of tape feeding position at will, a commonactuating means for operating said tape feeding means and tape severingmeans whereby said tape feeding means will operate only when the tapesevering means is out of operative position, and said tape severingmeans may be operated only when said tape feeding means is out ofoperative position.

20. In a device for moistening gummed tape in combination, tape feedingmeans for feeding the tape, tape severing means, and tape moisteningmeans beyond the severing means, said tape feeding means comprisingconstantly driven means to engage the tape across a transverse linethereof to feed the tape out of the machine, means to normally hold thetape feeding means out of tape feeding position, means to Ybring thetape feeding means into and out of tape feeding position at will, acommon actuating means for operating said tape feeding means, and tapesevering means whereby said tape feeding means will operate only whenthe tape severing means is out of operative position, and said tapesevering means may be operated only when said tape feeding means is outof operative position, and a smoothing device comprising a smooth ironand a padded angular pressure plate in the path of movement of the tape.

21. In a power driven gummed tape serving device of the class described,in combination with a feeding mechanism for feeding the tape gummed sideup, of a moistening device comprising a tank for fluid, a Vbrushvertically abovethe tape to moisten the gummed tape, a.wick projectinginto the fluid in the tank and extending adjacent the brush to act as afluid carrierl between the tank and the brush, and an adjustablepressure device adapted to maintainthe required pressure of contactbetween the gummed tape and the brush.

22. In a power driven gummed tape serving machine of the type describedhaving means to hold a supply of gummed tape and power driven means tofeed the tape out of the machine gummed side up, the combination of amoistening device for moistening the gummed side of the tape comprisinga tank for moistening a brush located above the normal path of travel ofthe tape material located below the normal path of travel of the tapeand a wick extending upward from the tank over the brush to conveythe'moisening material from the tank to the brush.

23. In a gummed strip serving machine ofthe class described incombination with a push-feed feeding means of a moistening devicecomprising a tank for liquid, a brush above the tank with the tipthereof adjacent the tape, said brush slanting downwardly, a pressuremember contacting with thebrush to maintain a uniform contact with thetape, and means to supply regulated quantities of liquid from the tankto said brush.

24. In a gummed strip serving and moistening machine of the typedescribed a frame, means to hold a supply of tape, means to feed thetape from the supply and push it from the machine, means to cut the tapeand means to moisten the tape gummed side up comprising a pressure plateover which the ungummed side of the tape is fed, a moistening brushbearing downwardly on said pressure plate so as to moisten the gummedside of the tape as it passes between the brush and the pressure plateand means to supply water to the moistening brush.

THEODORE H. KRUEGER. ALFRED P. KRUEGER.

